More Than Words
by secretfanficlover
Summary: A potion accident makes Gilderoy and Severus able to read each others thoughts, and potentially gives them the opportunity to recognize their soul mate via a tattoo.


**This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.**

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Health and Social Care: Art Therapy Task Two: write about someone finding expressing themselves nonverbally. (Can still talk within the story)

Word count: 2873

Note: The potion created does not alter one's ability to make decisions, and so is not forcing another person into a position they don't want to be in, it simply makes them aware of feelings they had but are hiding away.

Title: More Than Words

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The Golden Snitch:

Nautical Ship: How The Hell Do I Make That Work?

Gilderoy Lockheart and Severus Snape - H.M.S. Fame and Gory- min 1000 word count

Ollivanders: Length: • 10–11 inch: Write about a Slytherin character.

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**February: **

Gilderoy Lockhart was sitting in the Hogwarts kitchen, a house-elf named Dobby was bringing him treats and chatting away, but his mind was somewhere else. Gilderoy was aware he was attractive; vanity was definitely one of his attributes. Although, despite his charming smile and his writing prowess; the other teachers in the school didn't take him seriously. The young girls in school and even some teachers fawned over him, he also had the evidence.

He wanted love in his life, and although it was Valentine's day, and he had received numerous gifts and love letters from his fans, including a flower crown which filled his office with a lovely floral scent; the man he had his eye on was either playing hard to get, or was just generally sarcastic.

Snape was chatting with McGonagall, wondering why Dumbledore had decided to choose Lockhart as the New Defence against the Dark Arts teacher.

"I am much better qualified for that position," Severus complained disgustedly.

"I think I must agree, Severus, but perhaps the headmaster was considering someone a little more likeable for the position?" Minerva responded.

Severus raised an eyebrow at her: "Likeable? The guy is a complete moron, I am sure he has no skills that can translate or help the students in any way."

"Yes, Severus, and I know how much you love helping students," she replied.

"At least I know what I am doing, fame and glory? Yeah right, more like fame and gory," Severus replied in annoyance.

"Give the man a chance, you may end up finding more than the eye can see," Minerva said wisely.

"Azkaban sounds more enjoyable," he chirped sarcastically. He tossed a letter with red hearts that said "Be Mine" in the bin, from an apparent admirer. He believed it was probably just a practical joke from one of the students. He kept the roses in his room for a while though, just to feel that perhaps someone did care after all.

* * *

**December: **

Severus was in his classroom, a fire burning in the heath as he watched the winter snow falling from the sky, covering the grounds in white. The lake was covered in a sheet of sleek ice. He was working on a potion, a mind-reading potion, something similar to the Legitimacy, but it would form a mental connection between two people, so they both can speak telepathically. Severus had heard when people find their true soul mates, this potion allows them to find one another. The potion also creates matching tattoo bands on their left upper arm.

He was almost done completing this potion when there was a knock on the door. He heard the whistling coming from outside his classroom, and he groaned. "Always look on the bright side of life…" the tune was coming from none other than Severus's least favourite teacher — Gilderoy Lockhart.

"Severus, it's me, Gilderoy Lockhart," he announced as if the voice wasn't instantly recognizable. Severus groaned again, ignoring his better instincts of pretending he simply wasn't there, he walked over and opened the door, forcing his face into what he hoped wasn't a grimace of disgust. When he opened the door, Gilderoy was smiling, holding a bottle of firewhiskey. Gilderoy was wearing lavender robes, and Severus could tell from his face that he was excited. Severus couldn't help but hope this meant he was leaving Hogwarts, that perhaps he had gotten a book deal from somewhere far away.

"Lockhart," Severus said formally; as he entered.

"Call me Gilderoy," he insisted. "Could I tempt you?" Gilderoy asked, brandishing the bottle.

"Of course," Severus said, ignoring the first comment and taking the bottle from him. As soon as he opened the bottle and aroma hit him, and he knew the bottle was laced with Amortentia.

"You idiot, you can't honestly have been trying to slip me Amortentia," Severus said with menace. Gilderoy backed away slowly.

"Severus, please," he begged.

"What?" Severus barked furiously. How could the other man even consider slipping him a love potion? And why would he even want to? That raised more questions than Severus cared to think about.

"I'm sorry," Gilderoy tried in vain, hands held up in surrender; he kept his eyes on Severus, wondering if the other man was planning on cursing him. The cauldron with the red potion Severus had been working on was behind him, and as he reversed more, he knocked into it.

"You fool!" Severus cried as the red potion splashed all over the two of them, making red stains on Gilderoy's lavender robes, as well as going full into both their faces, splashing into their open mouths.

Nothing happened at first, so Severus calmed himself, perhaps the potion had failed, and there was no need to panic?

"Why? What was in the potion?" Gilderoy asked. Severus felt sure he hadn't said the words out loud but ignored that.

"It's called a Soulmate Draught," he said, turning pale. Gilderoy blushed.

'_What have you done?'_ Severus thought to himself.

'_What I knew I had to do cause I'm so in love with you.' _Gilderoy thought.

"Oh damn, did I say that out loud?" Gilderoy said, blushing furiously.

"No, you didn't, seems like the potion works after all," Severus said. He didn't want to ask it, but he thought it, so the question came across without his permission. _'He is in love with me?' _

"Well, yes, I am. Did you ever wonder who sent you that anonymous valentine?" Gilderoy asked, honestly curious now.

'_That was real?'_ Severus thought, thinking back to him disregarding it as a joke, and even when he could tell that Gilderoy wasn't lying, it was still hard to believe. This man was attractive, vain and selfish and possibly not a very good wizard, but what did Snape have that this handsome man could see?

"You're smart, and you're a great teacher, and you don't care what people think. I always admired you for that," Gilderoy said. He was sitting down on the table, it seemed like the potion was forgotten, but its effects still lingered. The red potion had vanished off them mysteriously.

'_This isn't possible,' _Severus thought to himself. This would mean the potion was working, now this said that they needed to keep an eye out for the soul band on their left arm. He didn't feel any different, but since Gilderoy was already in love with him, it made the possibility stronger that this man was his soul mate and that scared him.

"What's so scary about falling in love? What's so scary about feeling that you connect with someone?" Gilderoy asked him. A precious memory rose into his mind about the fiery redhead with emerald green eyes, standing in front of a fountain, kissing a man with messy black hair- Lily and James Potter. Severus felt foolish for ever thinking a woman like her could love him, and he felt his cheeks reddened angrily at the fact that he couldn't keep his thoughts from this other man. He had studied Occlumency for years so that nobody had access to this, but now in one fell swoop, it was all for nothing.

"I wouldn't tell a soul," Gilderoy whispered. "Even if this fades because we aren't true soul mates."

Severus shook his head in dismay. "I know she was never mine," he said, sitting down on another desk facing the other man. '_It's just feeling like you are never good enough, I refuse to say I'm in love…' _

"That's okay," Gilderoy said with a small smile, "got another bottle of booze here somewhere?"

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**January: **

It was clear to Severus that Gilderoy was hoping those bands would show up, but he was still a firm believer that there was no way he would fall in love with Gilderoy of all people, love feels good when you start out, but it always ends up with someone crying their hearts out.

Severus had no idea how long this would last, but every morning he would check his upper arm for the band that marked him as the soul mate of Gilderoy Lockhart. He had been experimenting with a potion that had not even been documented. There was no way of knowing what other side effects could occur from this accident.

"Why do you insist on infuriating him so much?" Draco asked Severus one day. They had kept what had happened a secret, but Draco had noticed something was going on between Lockhart and his godfather. He wasn't sure what, but he definitely was paying particular attention to the other man.

"Just because you're my godson doesn't mean I won't take points from you," Severus snapped. He was on edge today. He could feel Lockhart's emotions, and it wasn't helping him keep his temper.

"Okay, then I will just leave then," Draco said, scattering out before his godfather could say another word.

"I'll make sure those damn fools remember who I am," Gilderoy was muttering to himself, pacing in his office. The other professors had still not given him the time of day, none of them spoke to him. His only company was Severus, and the man did his best to avoid him as far as possible actively. When he felt Severus at the door, he was pleasantly surprised. The more he learned about the man, the more he loved him.

He laughed as he walked over to the door; Severus was trying to not even think about liking him, let alone falling in love.

"Come in, to what do I owe the pleasure?" he said, blue eyes twinkling. For the first time, Severus noticed the sky blue colour of the other man's eyes. The compliment coming into his thoughts without being able to be stopped. "Thank you," Gilderoy said, smile widening when he heard the subtle change in the usual views.

Severus was cynical and sarcastic, and Gilderoy hearing Severus thinking he has lovely blue eyes, the kind one can drown in, definitely made him optimistic that perhaps their relationship could change.

"I didn't mean it as a compliment," he tried to say, wincing at his lack of conviction.

"Of course not," Gilderoy smiled. His blue eyes came to rest on Severus's lips, curled up in a typical sneer. _'I wonder what it feels like to kiss those lips'_ Gilderoy thought. This made Severus blush, although he did his best to ignore it. Severus wanted to leave, it was clear Gilderoy was feeling flirty now, and he wasn't sure he could handle the man's advances.

"Please stay, I'll behave," Gilderoy said, winking at him. Severus wanted to say no, he wanted to say he was busy, or that he couldn't really be bothered, but something about those eyes held him there. "Just a while," he said instead, surprising them both.

The next morning Severus woke up, he had a dream about sparkling blue eyes, a charming smile, and of course, Gilderoy. It was his first dream that he couldn't deny the chemistry between the two of them. "Oh, face it like a grown-up, when are you going to own up?" Snape said to himself. He still couldn't _say _it, but he felt the change was there. He was falling for the other man, and he was helpless to stop it, even if he wanted to. Did he want to? He used to know, but now he wasn't so sure anymore. He went through his morning ritual of checking for the band, and finding it not there, felt… disappointed. The feeling was new, every day before he would smirk into the mirror and say: "See, I knew I was right," and go on with his day.

"Oh," he said today, brushing his teeth, making an extra effort with his hair, and walking to breakfast. He heard Gilderoy coming a mile away, not even just because of the mental connection, the man was whistling again, the same tune as the day the incident occurred. Severus caught himself smiling before he stopped it, Gilderoy had tried to slip him a love potion, it was clear the man was hopelessly in love with him. He was so deep in these thoughts that he jumped when Gilderoy was next to him, hand on his shoulder. "Severus, can I join you?" he asked, pointing to the empty seat at the teacher's table, next to him. Severus nodded and smiled again.

"What you so happy about?" Gilderoy asked him, digging into a plate of bacon and eggs.

"Oh, nothing," he said. Although he knew that Gilderoy was humouring him, the man knew his every thought, his every feeling, and his every action. He was sitting nursing his own breakfast.

"Let's go for a walk," Gilderoy said with the same sparkle in his eye.

"You saw my dream didn't you?" Severus muttered softly.

"Oh come on, I won't jump you unless you want me to," Gilderoy laughed. _'Although I know you want me to.'_

"If you behave, sure," Severus insisted, trying not to melt at the feelings inside him. This was why he never wanted to fall in love again, he told himself.

The two of them went on a walk, Gilderoy's hands loosely hanging by his sides. It was clear he wanted to take Severus's hand, but he behaved- as promised. Severus was curious how the man had been able to go all this time without pressuring him into anything. It was clear Gilderoy had strong feelings for him, and that it was hard to hold back around him.

'_I don't want anything happening that you're not comfortable with, I know how you feel about me, but until you are sure, I don't want to pressure you into anything,'_ Gilderoy thought. "If you think about it, not acting on impulses are easy when you don't want to push someone away," he said out loud. Severus had this overwhelming rush of . . . admiration for the other man. He subtly moved his hand into Gilderoy's side as they walked, and the smile the other man gave him nearly knocked his breath away.

"I expected this potion to work differently," Gilderoy said to him, trying not to focus on the hand in his.

"Oh, yeah?" Severus asked curiously.

"I thought it would be, you know," he trailed off.

"Instant?" Severus supplied, Gilderoy nodded.

"Yeah, well, the thing is, I wasn't sure if it would work in the first place, not believing the soul mate thing is real. But, the thing about love is that it is about more than just falling in love, it's about forming a bond that is about more than just passion." This left Gilderoy and Severus quiet for a while, and they just walked hand in hand along the Black Lake.

They were far enough away for no students to come across them, and they were both relaxed, just enjoying each other's company.

"I feel comfortable around you, you know," Severus said suddenly, and more than just his words were clear to Gilderoy. Gilderoy was happy that he had not done anything to damage the trust between them, although it was hard to deny the feelings he got.

"That's a start then," the blond said with a smile.

After that things started to develop in a spiral for Severus, he was falling for this man, hopelessly. He couldn't deny it any longer. It was the beginning of February when he finally admitted to himself that he loved Gilderoy, sod it. Tattoo or no tattoo, he loved him.

When he saw Gilderoy at breakfast, his heart fluttered when their eyes met, and Gilderoy gave him a cheeky grin, before turning to his food again. Severus wasn't ready to say it out loud, but Gilderoy didn't need him to. "Let's go for a walk," Severus said, and Gilderoy looked at him curiously, but nodded.

They walked far enough from the castle for no students to come across them, and without warning, Severus took the other man's hands into his own, coming to a stop in front of him. "Be my Valentine," Severus asked. Gilderoy blushed at the sudden boldness.

"Of course," he replied.

"I've been thinking. . ." Severus started.

'_I know' _thought Gilderoy.

'Oh be quiet, would you?' Severus thought back at him. Gilderoy was grinning widely.

"This tattoo thing is stupid, I like you, and you like me. . ." he trailed off again.

"I love you, Sev," Gilderoy replied, hoping to make the coming confession easier.

"Oh sod it, I love you too," Severus said, turning bright red in the face. He felt his arm heat up, and when he looked at it —there it was, the tattoo band, marking them as soul mates. That was when he realised, the mark only showed up, once you were ready to accept it. No matter the risk, he was finally willing to put it all out there, and for once, he knew he was worthy of love.

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**Valentine's Day: **

"Happy Valentine's day," Gilderoy said. He handed over a large bouquet of roses and a letter that says "Be Mine". Severus blushed furiously. He could feel all the eyes in the great hall on him. "Happy Valentine's day," Severus replied, and then he kissed Gilderoy in front of everyone. _'Mine,'_ his thoughts growled possessively as they kissed. _'Yours'_ Gilderoy responded.


End file.
